We just talked about what you should do to make your LinkedIn profile stand out. Now you should be looking at ways to use LinkedIn to find some new opportunities and help people. One of the best things a sales person can do that will build their online credibility and personal brand is to use LinkedIn Answers to show their expertise. If you spend an hour or two a week this will be a step into becoming a social selling expert.
I’m not expecting any sales person to answer 200+ questions a week but can you imagine the impact it would have on your sales and personal exposure if you did? Instead, select a category from the right side or even be more specific by searching the section for something related to an interest of yours. You can always search for your product by name and see if someone has asked something specifically about that. These are Sales 2.0 strategies that pay off.
You will find that this does a few things for you that can turn into great conversations as well as new opportunities. As you answer questions people that are following the thread will see that you are providing input, if you are providing a valuable answer, chances are they will go to your profile to see who you are. If you LinkedIn profile has been set up correctly this new person may go straight from you LinkedIn profile to your blog, Twitter or even download something you have listed in your extended profile.
Always be helping your prospects by making it easy for people to find you and your company. This is a passive way of selling yourself and product through social media.
